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“Don’t worry, I’m not going to harm you,” the man insisted. He had a thick accent and smoked a cigarette that made Olivia gag. Did this guy have a gun on him?
“Who are you?” she demanded weakly. “What do you want from me?”
“Your groom owed me money.”
“M-my groom? I’m not married.”
“My sympathies to you. But if it’s any consolation to you, you haven’t missed a thing. He was probably two-timing you like he did everyone else he knew.”
“What are you talking about?” Olivia couldn’t see her kidnapper’s face, but that was probably just as well. She hoped she would be able to leave there alive if she couldn’t identify him. Was he going to harm her? He said no, but how honest could he be?
“No time to sit and chat. I just need the PIN for your bankcard. Once we have the funds, we’ll leave you alone.”
Leave me alone? Yeah, right. Believe a criminal?
“I don’t have any money in my account.”
“I don’t think it is wise for you to lie to me.”
“Look, I don’t—”
“Bull!” The man’s voice rose so high it caused Olivia to shudder. He then calmed down again and leaned forward in his chair.
“I don’t have $16,000.”
“Sixteen thousand dollars?” he asked, laughing at Olivia’s naivety. “We’re looking for the six million dollars. Where is it? What has he done with it?”
“Six million dollars? What are you talking about?”
“You know, I’m beginning to think she’s telling the truth, Rohan,” a woman’s voice from the other side of the room cut through. There was more than one thug in the room?
“Jack owed loan sharks six million dollars?” Olivia asked in disbelief.
The woman broke out into a dry laugh. “You’re kidding me, right? Jack didn’t owe loan sharks that kind of money,” the woman explained. “Jack was a loan shark.”
“What?” Jack was a loan shark? But Jack was a gambler. Why or how would he have become a loan shark? You think you know someone.
“Yes, dear. Mr. Jack Laster was quite a character. He drank too much and he gambled too much. He owed plenty of debt and we helped save his ass one too many times from really dangerous people. We even gave him a side gig to pull himself out of debt by collecting for us. He was a part of a team of collectors. But then what did he do? He ended up taking the dough for himself. Money that belong to us.”
“Let’s get her PIN and get the hell out of here.” The woman sounded impatient.
They’d already taken her bankcard out of her purse.
Six million dollars?
Had Jack put the money in their recently opened joint account? She hadn’t bothered to check into one of the Internet accounts he’d opened up for them since they’d opened the account with only five dollars. But she sure didn’t have access to it.
“Gimme your PIN now!” the woman demanded.
Before Olivia could even respond, an earth-shattering bang assaulted her ears. The door of the room was kicked down by what looked to be a SWAT team.
Olivia screamed out, covering her ears. The team moved in and the man and woman held up their hands in surrender. Dane stormed into the room next to the men. Olivia was stunned to see him. How on earth did he know where to find her? How did he know? She was in his arms before long. She could feel the strong embrace he had her in, as if holding on for dear life. As if he’d never let her go again. She felt as if she was in a bad dream or a nightmare. What was going on? Was this even real? Olivia’s head was spinning. Her mind was a hazy blur. Everything had happened so fast…
Chapter 20
“I don’t get it. What happened to the money Jack allegedly stole from his…new colleagues?” Olivia asked Dane later that night. She was already settled in her bed. She’d gotten back from the hospital a couple hours earlier and Dane insisted that he carry her back to the Belmont Palace.
“Well, JoJo said he was actually framed. He’d taken the money and gambled some of it hoping to strike gold at the casino but the money was taken out of his account by another cyber thief.”
“My God! Jack was part of some horrible back-stabbing ring of loan sharks?”
“Looks that way. Anyway, the cops have nabbed quite a few people. Not just the guy who texted you about the sixteen grand, but Rohan, his mistress and a few others. It’s over now. It’s all over.”
“Thank you, Dane.”
“As long as you’re okay. I just want you to know I never stopped looking out for you, and no matter what happens between us, I’ll always be there for you if you need me.”
Shivers danced down Olivia’s spine at Dane’s sincere sentiments. But what did that mean? She was just a friend to him—nothing more? A damsel who always seemed to be in distress?
“I still don’t understand…How did you know where to find me?”
The fireplace was lit and crackling in her room. The warm glow was soothing for her still-frayed nerves. She was safe…again. Safe with Dane. But for how long? Olivia still didn’t know where things stood between them after they’d slept together.
Dane moved over to where she was and sat on the bed beside her with his strong arms around her, hugging her close to him. “You remember my grandmother’s brooch?” he said in his deep, silky voice.
Olivia was surprised. “Your grandmother’s brooch?” she said, not understanding why he’d mentioned it.
She remembered he told her to keep wearing it.
“What about it?” she said.
“Well, the truth is, Olivia, you’re very special. You mean a lot to me. And I know you love daisies. So I thought that would be a perfect gift for you.”
“And?”
“Well, I decided to bring it to JoJo’s security store. The new retail branch he’s got going.”
“What?” she mouthed, sitting up straighter in the bed. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Depends on what you think I’m saying,” he teased, a charming grin on his handsome face.
She reached over for her bag and pulled out the brooch she’d had pinned to her blazer earlier that day. She scrutinized it back and front.
Dane tilted his head back and laughed. “I don’t think you’ll see the tracking device, darling. JoJo’s that good.”
“But…I don’t get it,” she said.
“I knew you loved daisies and I knew you’d wear it. I decided that’s how I was going to make sure you were okay until we caught the guys making threats. When you told me to call off the detectives, I never got around to unwiring you.”
“You mean to say you’ve had me tracked all this time?” Her jaw tightened.
“Yes,” he confirmed.
Olivia melted into a warm smile. “Good! And thank the Lord for that!”
They both broke into a laughter so warm and so loving. Olivia was so happy to be with Dane again. But were things really good between them on another level?
“Your sister, Bria, called here asking for you. She said you didn’t turn up at the open house and we both know you’re usually punctual or at least beside your phone. That’s when I acted fast and got your GPS coordinates on this lovely jewel.”
“Oh, Dane. From day one you’ve been looking out for me. How can I ever repay you?” She searched his beautiful blue eyes.
He leaned over to her, gazing intently into her eyes and she melted under the sweet heat of his loving gaze. He stroked her chin with his finger and ecstasy pulsed through her blood. He brought her chin to his and he pressed his soft lips to hers. A surge of heat rushed through her body.
He moved his mouth to her neck and his soft lips caressed the sensitive skin on her neck sending shivers of delight down her spine. She moaned in pleasure, enjoying the silky feel of his touch.
“Oh, Dane, I’ve missed you,” she murmured.
“Promise me you’ll never leave me,” he moaned between pressing kisses on her flesh.
“Oh, I promise,” she whispered in a throaty voice.
“Good, because,” Dane said, breathless as caressed and kissed her shoulders, wrapping his harms around her, “I can’t be away from you, Olivia. I love you.”
I love you?
Did Dane just say he loves me?
“Oh, Dane.” Olivia pulled herself away from him to look into his eyes. She had to be sure. She gazed into those sexy eyes of his, as blue as the ocean and as clear as a cloudless summer sky, and they electrified her. “D-did you mean what you just said?” she whispered, breathless. She had to be sure.
“I do, Olivia,” he said, gazing intently into her eyes. “I love you with all my heart and the funny thing is, I knew it from day one. I felt it that day when you opened the door of your suite at the hotel. Something opened up inside me. I can’t even explain.”
“Oh, Dane. I had no idea you felt that way. I thought…I mean, you weren’t interested in me because I’d just come out of a relationship.”
“That’s just it. I was afraid. I was regarding you as if you’d do the same thing to me as my ex did but I was wrong. No other woman in this world can hold a candle to you, Olivia. You are pure gold. You stole my heart that day and it drove me crazy thinking we might not end up together.”
